Philadelphia Police plucked a body from the Schuylkill River this morning.
The man’s body was found around 9 a.m. in the river near the 3000 block of Penrose Avenue in South Philadelphia, According to police spokeswoman Jillian Russell.
The location is near where the George C Platt Bridge crosses the river to connect the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) and Interstate 95.
Various police vehicles and an ambulance could be seen on the bank of the river moments after the body was removed from the water.
Police didn’t identify the man.
This incident comes on the heels of two other recent incidents where a body was found in the river.
One day very soon, the focus on Obamacare will turn from signing up new enrollees to quantifying the law's success 2014 or failure.
The six-month open enrollment period, during which consumers sign up for health plans under the Affordable Care Act, is supposed to end today. But the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as many states running their own marketplaces, are giving some extra time to consumers who've had trouble signing up.
It'll probably all wrap up by April 15. Then, the final numbers will be tallied and the pronouncements will begin. Politicians on both sides of the aisle will use the same data to proclaim that they were right about the law.
Last Thursday, the Obama administration said that more than 6 million people have signed up for coverage on the health insurance exchanges, meeting the projections set out by the Congressional Budget Office. Republicans have countered by questioning how many enrollees have paid their first month's premium, the final step necessary for coverage to be in effect.
Dr. David Blumenthal of the Commonwealth Fund recently told me that any attempt to review the success of the law must go beyond those who sign up for coverage on the exchanges. It should include those who gained coverage through the expansion of state Medicaid programs for the poor, as well as young adults who are now able to stay on their parents' health plans because of the law.
"I think the real success of the law will be judged over 5 years, not six months," he said. "In fact, this president, President Obama, has until January 2017 to establish it as a fixture in the American social policy firmament."
That may well be true, but now seems like a reasonable time to take stock. So, how should success 2014 and ultimately the law itself 2014 be judged? Here's what some experts are saying about which metrics to use and the problems with each.
What percentage of previously uninsured people are finding coverage under the exchanges?
We can't answer this question yet because we don't know whether those signing up for coverage were previously uninsured. In fact, some enrollees, perhaps many, had their insurance plans canceled at the end of 2013 because the plans did not meet the requirements set out by the ACA. Obama administration officials have not released any numbers on this.
That said, a recent report from the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation compares enrollment data through the end of February (with one month left to go in the official open enrollment period) to the number of eligible uninsured people in each state.
Here's what the researchers found:
"Overall, more than 4.2 million people have enrolled and picked a plan through the exchanges, about 14.8 percent of all potential eligibles. The enrollment rate varies from state to state, with a high of 54 percent in Vermont to a low of five percent in Massachusetts. We should note that Massachusetts had the lowest rate of uninsurance in the nation since its health reform in 2006; its previous success might mean that the remaining uninsured population could be especially difficult to reach."
Here's a graphic from the report showing the states in which the greatest share of uninsured received coverage (through February).
Did states meet estimates from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services?
MarketWatch had a story last week comparing enrollment in each state to the HHS projections. By that measure, Connecticut led the pack, signing up 218 percent of its projected enrollment through the end of February. It was followed by Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York and Maine.
The problem with this approach is that the goals are "in many cases, based on little more than educated guesswork," writes Charles Gaba, creator of ACASignups.net, which has become akin to the Bible for tracking sign-ups under the law.
He noted that CMS' state-by-state projections were based on 7 million enrollees nationwide, the original projection of the CBO. That projection has since been revised downward to 6 million because of the problems with HealthCare.gov, the online sign-up portal for 36 states. In addition, some states provided their own figures while CMS simply sliced up the rest to fit the 7 million projection.
He elaborated in an email: "Ten states out of 50 gave their target numbers to CMS, but those numbers were higher than CMS was figuring, so they had to drop the other 40 states down so that the grand total fit the CBO's 7 [million] total. As a result, you get some absurd numbers 2014 both NY and KY had the same 220K (actually, KY's was 220K, NY's was less at 218K) even though NY's population is much, much higher and so on."
Gaba suggests an alternate measure more like the one used by the Leonard Davis Institute researchers, which looks at the percentage of eligible enrollees in each state.
What percentage of enrollees are young adults, aka the "young invincibles" who typically are regarded as healthier?
A number of news outlets have focused on the relative dearth of young people choosing plans through the end of February to point out that the insurance companies may not have so-called balanced risk pools, meaning enough young, healthy enrollees to offset the costs of older, sicker ones. The Washington Post noted this month:
"Strong participation by young adults is critical to the program's success, because they tend to use less medical care. Because they are cheaper to insure, young people offset insurers' costs of covering the sick, many of whom are eager to sign up for coverage. Under the health-care law, people with preexisting medical conditions can't be rejected.
Initially, officials had hoped that 40 percent of the sign-ups would be adults under the age of 35, but only about 27 percent of February enrollments were young adults, about the same as in January. On Tuesday, administration officials said they were nevertheless encouraged and predicted more young people would enroll closer to the deadline."
Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, is critical of such efforts to equate young enrollees to healthy ones.
"Young people benefit the risk pool because they are healthier, but it's really the percentage of healthy people that make or break the risk pool," Altman wrote in a column last week. "Even if enrollment of young adults stays where it is 2013 at about one-quarter instead of 40 percent, which our analysis shows they make up among potential enrollees 2013 premiums would only increase by two to three percent. Though even that isn't quite right, since many insurers expected this and already built it into their premiums."
What we really need to know is what percentage of enrollees are healthy vs. sick. That will take time.
What will happen to insurance premiums in 2015?
Some experts are looking beyond this year's enrollment numbers and are focusing on what the insurance rates will be for those renewing their plans this fall 2014 or selecting plans for the first time. Scott Gottlieb, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told me this month that he thinks attention will quickly shift from this year's enrollment cycle to insurers' rates for next year.
"The rates are going to come out early spring, so that's going to be the next big story. And I suspect they'll go up quite a bit," he said.
Dylan Scott at Talking Points Memo isn't convinced they will uniformly rise. He also notes that insurance rates were increasing before Obamacare and will increase after the law.
"The real data for measuring Obamacare's success aren't in yet, but they eventually will be. At the top of the list: What happens with premiums in 2015? Plus: Do insurance companies leave the market or enter it? And the ultimate barometer: Has the number of uninsured Americans dropped significantly?" he wrote last week. "In simpler terms: Did Obamacare, in year one, create a sustainable insurance market for the long term?"
Another problem with looking at rates is that an insurer's increase for 2015 may mean that it didn't set the right price for this year, not that medical costs have increased dramatically.
***
In the end, some hints of the law's success 2014 or failure 2014 will be available this year, but it will take longer to assess how much it has reduced the number of uninsured and moderated health care costs (the two key metrics of success).
An article Friday in The New York Times suggests that rather than judging the success of the law nationally, it may make more sense to look at it state by state. "A review of state-by-state enrollment data and other research, as well as interviews with patients, advocates, health policy analysts, elected officials, supporters and critics of the Affordable Care Act, suggest that, for consumers at least, the state of health care under the national law depends almost entirely on where a person lives," the article said.
At the end of his column, Kaiser's Altman wondered if the American public would wait for the facts to make up its mind: "The problem is that it will take time to learn if the mix of enrollees is healthier or sicker, and how premium increases vary around the country, and how people feel about their coverage," he wrote. "Meanwhile Republican politicians will lambast the law and Democratic ones will offer lukewarm support and overall popularity of the ACA probably won't change very much. Anybody willing to wait for a judgment based on the right metrics?"
Have you tried signing up for health care coverage through the new exchanges? Help us cover the Affordable Care Act by sharing your insurance story.
Tyrone Ferguson was arrested Feb. 25, one day after an attack was thwarted by a group of students who threw rocks at the would-be kidnapper as he tried to drag a 10-year-old girl away by her hair.
Philadelphia Police Special Victims Unit Capt. John Darby said Ferguson was a danger to the community.
"His behavior is bold and it definitely creates a threat to that community," said Darby.
Darby said Ferguson, 36, tried to abduct two children outside of a North Philadelphia school on the morning of Feb. 24.
Police say an 8-year-old boy and his 10-year-old sister were walking to Mary McLeod Bethune School along the 1000 block of W. Venango Street when they were approached by the suspect. The man allegedly told the children, “come here” and then grabbed the boy's book bag.
Police say the boy's sister rushed over and freed him.
"Ultimately that male let go of the young male child and then attacked the female and tried to take her... as well," said Darby.
The man then allegedly grabbed the girl's hair and pulled her towards him. Nearby children then threw rocks at the suspect, knocking him down, according to investigators. The suspect then fled the scene and the girl escaped.
The children then reported the incident to the school, which contacted police.
During the incident, police say the man was wearing all-black clothing, black gloves and a ski mask.
"Recognizing the threat level we began to work almost immediately," said Darby.
As a result of the increased police presence in the area, Ferguson was identified as the suspect. One of his alleged victims also recognized Ferguson, according to investigators.
Ferguson, who lives not far from the school and actually went there as a child, turned himself into the Special Victims Unit. Ferguson faces counts of with robbery, attempted kidnapping, false imprisonment, simple assault, luring a child and related counts.
Police also say Ferguson had a cut on his forehead which was likely caused by one of the rocks that the children threw at him.
Ferguson is no stranger to law enforcement. He has a slew of previous convictions including drugs incidents and serving time for a 2001 conviction for corruption of a minor, according to court records.
Despite this, those who know him insist that police have the wrong man.
"That ain't him!" said one of Ferguson's neighbors following the arrest. "That ain't his character. I know him. He don't drive no car. This is his neighborhood."
Another neighbor told NBC10 Ferguson told himself in because he was scared and felt pressure from police, not because he actually committed the crimes.
"He knew he didn't do it," she said. "They had a warrant! They were kicking in doors!"
Parents, meanwhile, were relieved that an arrest was made.
"I'm glad they arrested someone," said Jareisha Penn. "But there is a lesson to be learned. We've got to watch our kids."
President Barack Obama called him a "good guy from Pittsburgh" on Friday. We got to know him as a "good guy from Philadelphia," the day before. But the country of Italy usually just calls him the mayor of Rome.
A day before meeting with the president of the United States, Mayor of Rome Ignazio Marino met with us, discussing how his life in Philadelphia has influenced the changes he's making in Rome as mayor of Italy's capital city.
And while giving a hat-tip to Philly for inspiring many of his initiatives, Marino repaid the favor by giving Philadelphians encouragement and advice on the prospect of having Pope Francis visit the city in 2015.
"I understand there is a chance that Pope Francis will fly to Philadelphia," Marino said, referring to the World Meeting of Families in 2015. "That would be terrific, it would be a great experience. He is a man with a lot of charisma, a lot of simplicity, he goes straight to the point...I really hope and pray that this happens."
There's no better man to ask about such things, as this mayor of Rome knows well the work of coordinating traffic, security, and public safety for Papal audiences in Rome. All the while, he has a great affection for the next U.S. city the pope may visit.
A former transplant surgeon and professor of surgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, who lived in the U.S. for 20 years, Marino fondly remembers the six years of his life in the City of Brotherly Love.
"I obviously miss a lot Philly," Marino said Thursday. "I particularly miss Jefferson and the place I used to live on Society Hill and the great restaurants in town."
Elected mayor of Rome in 2013, Marino has begun multiple initiatives in Italy's capital city that point directly back to his experiences in Philadelphia.
The most obvious example is his effort to reduce traffic in Rome by creating bike sharing and car sharing programs. Rome's "Car2Go" has cars available 24 hours a day, and with a free smartphone app anyone can find the cars close to them for use around Rome. Sound familiar?
"I was inspired by [Philly Car Share]," Marino said.
Marino said that one day, in his first year of living in Philadelphia, he was looking to buy a new car with his daughter.
"We were almost ready to pick the color of the car and then we said, 'Why do we need a car?'" Marino said. "That was almost 14 years ago, and from that time I do not have a car."
The ease of public transportation, the ability to ride his bike anywhere, and the convenience of car sharing in Philadelphia made Marino the first mayor of Rome who goes everywhere by bike.
"From that time I began to think about alternative means of getting around in town, and this is something that I am trying to import to Rome," Marino said. "I go around [Rome] with a bike, with no security around me, and we are investing in huge changes in public transportation and alternative ways of moving around town."
And it's not just promotion of pedestrian-only areas and the reduction of traffic through car and bike sharing programs that Marino credits to his time in Philadelphia. Heading the grand Roman city of culture, art, archaeology and history, Marino took some pointers from Philadelphia's Barnes Foundation as to how to use technology to make the experience richer and more convenient for visitors.
"What we are trying to do in many museums here and downtown is exactly what was done at the Barnes museum -- have a free app that you can download on your smartphone," Marino said. "You put your headset on and you can walk through and be guided through the museum as you do at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia."
The idea of renting space in museums for private events also came from him seeing it done in Philadelphia, bringing "a new economy based on culture," he said.
Even the new project to build a soccer stadium in Rome, in a partnership with the U.S., makes Marino think of Philly. Why? Well, when it comes to the intensity and love for sports - Italian and Philadelphian fans, "Oh, they are the same," he said laughing.
So why did the man who was personally thanked by the President of the United States last week for his work in Pittsburgh as the director of the only liver transplant center owned by the U.S. government, who performed liver transplants to more than 100 Vietnam veterans, decide to become the mayor of Rome?
"The challenge," he said.
Even that sounds like there might be a little Philadelphian grit behind it.
As for his favorite restaurant to go to when he visits his former home, don't expect an Italian restaurant recommendation. We suppose that's like getting a burger in Florence.
"Morimoto," he said. "If I want a good dish of spaghetti I know how to make it by myself, while I'm not capable of preparing a nice plate of sashimi."
Runners rejoice! Registration for the Philadelphia Marathon weekend has begun.
Runners can now register for the full marathon, half marathon and the Rothman Institute 8K.
Organizers say the first 1,000 people who register will receive a price break when signing up for any of the events.
“The GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon is better than ever, from the start of registration this month to the starting line on November 23 on the Ben Franklin Parkway,” said Desiree Peterkin-Bell, the race’s Executive Director. “Whether you are a participant or a spectator, the marathon appeals to everyone’s interests and talents. Last year, we enjoyed the largest total registration in Philadelphia Marathon history, attracting over 30,000 participants (across three races) from all 50 states and more than 40 countries. We’re building on that success this year and look forward to working with our sponsor, the GORE-TEX® Brand, as we continue to grow as a premier marathon.”
The marathon, in its 21st year, features a 26.2-mile course starting and finishing along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The Rothman Institute 8K will take place on Saturday, November 22 while the marathon and half marathon will take place on Sunday, November 23.
Before the races, marathon-related events will open on Friday, November 21, including a Health & Fitness Expo the Kids Fun Run, a short-distance, non-competitive run for children, ages 6 to 12. Registration for the kids run will also begin on April 1.
Entry Fee Schedule
Philadelphia Marathon - Sunday, November 23
First 1,000 $85
April 1 – 30 $105
May 1 – 31 $115
June 1 – 30 $125
July 1 – Nov. 1* $145 *= or when registration reaches capacity
Philadelphia Half Marathon - Sunday, November 23
First 1,000 $70
April 1 – 30 $85
May 1 – 31 $95
June 1 – 30 $105
July 1 – Nov. 1* $125 *= or when registration reaches capacity
Rothman Institute 8K - Saturday, November 22
April 1 – May 31 $25
June 1 – 30 $30
July 1 – 31 $35
August 1 – Nov. 1* $45 *= or when registration reaches capacity
Rothman Institute 8K Group Rates (Price per Person; 5 or More Participating in Group Competition)
April 1 – May 31 $20
June 1 – 30 $25
July 1 – 31 $30
August 1 – Nov. 1* $35 *= or when registration reaches capacity
Police officers and the bomb squad were called to a middle school in the Lehigh Valley for a report of a bomb threat.
Officials say a bomb threat towards Nitschmann Middle School on the 900 block of West Union Boulevard in Bethlehem was reported from an off-campus location.
Officials received the report after classes were dismissed. After-school activities were cancelled and the school was evacuated. Police officers and a bomb squad were called to the scene.
School officials say the threat was determined to not be credible but officers still searched the building as a precaution.
After searching for several hours, officials did not find anything inside the building and the scene was cleared.
Classes will resume as normal on Tuesday.
Nitschmann Middle School is one of four middle schools in the Bethlehem Area School District. Around 900 students currently attend the school.
Jimmy Rollins hit a grand slam and the Phillies held on for a 14-10 opening-day victory over the Texas Rangers in Arlington. Check out photos from the game.
The marriage proposal on a not-so-perfect rainy day almost didn't happen as planned yesterday.
Nick Overbaugh, 25, spent the last two months planning how he'd propose to Jenna Ewing, 23, his girlfriend of two years. The Maryland resident settled on surprising her at the finish line of the inaugural Love Run in Philadelphia. He hired a 'proposal' assistant to pull things off and arranged for a photographer at the finish line.
"Around mile seven I wanted to call it quits," said Ewing.
He even designed her ring to match her mother's ring.
Ewing's first half marathon was something she had been looking forward to because she has relatives in Philadelphia and she's from Western Pennsylvania.
Once the race got started, the rain became a challenge for Ewing as she had no experience running in it. She thought just short of halfway into the race that it may be time to exit.
"I’m glad I kept going," said Ewing.
She had two friends to run along with to keep her going too. Once she hit the finish line in 2 hours 18 minutes, two minutes faster than her personal goal, she saw her boyfriend holding a bouquet of flowers.
"He got down on one knee. It didn't even register what was going on. Then I saw all my friends and family behind him," said Ewing.
What did she do next? She rushed to greet and hug the family members who had traveled as far as Pittsburgh, and thought how gorgeous the flowers were.
Overbaugh's mother turned to Ewing and said in a motherly tone, "Say yes."
Ewing turned around and realized what was happening, as Overbaugh stayed on one knee behind her.
"Of course I will marry you," she said. "If I knew he was doing this I would have run a lot faster."
Overbaugh said of Ewing, "She's my best friend. We do everything together and she is easy to get along with." After the Love Run and proposal, the couple and their families dined at Devil's Alley.
The Towson University graduate student plans to take her time and not rush the wedding ceremony. Her friends got her wedding magazines to look through this weekend, but she says she's probably going to get married in the fall of 2016.
"I'm glad it rained, otherwise it would have been too perfect of a day. It'll be nice to look back on the day and laugh," said Ewing.
Ten thousand runners partook in the first ever Love Run on March 30. A portion of the race proceeds will go to the Philadelphia Educational Supplies, which benefits School District of Philadelphia students.
The Love Run course began at the Art Museum circle, traveled along the Schuylkill River and ended with a finish line back at the Art Museum.
The NBC10 Great Shredder Event is back for its 10th year. The next event is held April 12 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Wells Fargo Center, 3601 South Broad Street.
This year, Allstate is teaming up with NBC10 to help the public protect itself by offering a free shredding service to permanently destroy personal documents.
Your favorite NBC10 anchors and reporters will be on-site to greet you and help you with your items.
Up to five boxes of personal documents are permitted per person. No businesses please. Cintas Document Management shredding trucks will only shred paper. Metal is not permitted. Please remove staples, trash, card board and any other binding items from your paperwork in advance.
After you shred, visit the Allstate Reality Rides tent. There will be raffles every half hour, including chances to win Phillies tickets, Flyers merchandise and more. All attendees are eligible for a 20 percent discount on Xfinity Live cable services.
Enter the Wells Fargo Center from Broad Street. Park your car in Lot H and get in line. Once you reach the front of the line, NBC10 and Allstate volunteers will go with you to your car to retrieve your items and take you to the shredder trucks.
The inaugural Love Run took place in Philadelphia on Sunday. Despite the rain, runners and spectators were still out in full force during the half-marathon which went through Eakins Oval, Benjamin Franklin Parkway and other parts of Center City. Check out photos from the event courtesy of John Dominy Photography.
NJ lawmakers are pushing to change state legislation on life-saving devices in motels and hotels in the wake of a fire that killed four people. NBC10's Ted Greenberg has the details.
More negotiations took place on Monday to prevent a potential SEPTA strike.
Officials with SEPTA as well as its unions met at the Sheraton Hotel in Center City for a meeting that lasted nearly six hours.
The contract for the Transit Workers Union, SEPTA's largest, expired earlier in March. According to Transit Workers Union local president Willie Brown, SEPTA wants a five year contract with bonuses for the first two years and 1%, 2%, and 3% raises for the last three years. Brown also says SEPTA wants increased health care costs and changes to employee pension contributions.
SEPTA declined to discuss terms of contract negotiations publicly.
If the two sides don't come to an agreement, it could lead to the first transit strike in almost five years.
"I'm going to work as long as I can until you know, it comes to a point, when there's no reason to negotiate anymore, then I'll do what I have to do," Brown said.
The 4,700 members of Brown's TWU Local 234 have been working without a contract since the middle of March.
Brown said any strike would not take place until three remaining, smaller contracts expire later this week.
If the two sides do not reach a deal by the end of the week, the total number of SEPTA employees working without a contract would top 5,000.
While Brown argues SEPTA is in better financial shape than in years past, SEPTA Spokeswoman Jerri Williams said new money recently allocated by the state of Pennsylvania comes with dedicated purposes.
"That's just for infrastructure and new vehicles," Williams said. "We have the same amount of money that we've always had to pay for salary and benefits. There has been no increase other than somewhat of an increase because of higher ridership."
Williams said fares make up 40% of SEPTA's operating budget. She said the two sides could come back to the table as early as this week.
There have been twelve separate transit strikes in Philadelphia since 1975. The most recent, lasting a week began in the early hours of Election Day of 2009.
A bill is currently in the statehouse that would prevent SEPTA from striking if an agreement is not reached. At this point however, the bill has not moved out of the House Committee. SEPTA's regional rail would also continue to operate in the event of a strike since it's bound by federal rules.
A missing man whose body was found in a bay at the Jersey Shore accidentally drowned, according to police.
Kennedy Rios, 21, was last seen on January 7 at his home in Ventnor, New Jersey.
According to family members, Rios left a party just after midnight, venturing out into the freezing cold without a jacket, gloves or a hat. Rescue crews searched for Rios but were unable to find him.
On Friday, a body was discovered in a bay near Surrey Avenue in Ventnor. Police later identified the body as Rios.
On Monday, State Police announced that Rios' death was not suspicious and that he died from an accidental drowning and hypothermia.
